This invention concerns a wheel mounting for vehicles with a wheel rim having a tire and being attachable by means of preloading means to a shaft that has a wheel mount and is mounted so it can rotate in the wheel carrier, and having means for a positive-locking transmission of torque and shear force, where the means transmitting the torque and shear force is formed by a profiling that is provided on the wheel rim and wheel mount and being engageable in a positive-locking manner without backlash centering the wheel rim and completely taking up the preload force.
In the case of motor vehicles, the wheels, i.e., the wheel rims are usually detachably attached to a wheel mount by means of bolts relative to the rotating shaft or wheel axle.
There are known attachments which are formed by several bolts arranged on a common pitch circle on the wheel mount, passing through corresponding holes in the wheel rims. The radial centering of the wheel rim relative to the wheel mount is accomplished here by a shoulder on the wheel mount and the peripheral centering due to the conical areas of the fastening bolts or nuts which work together with corresponding conically shaped seating areas on the through-holes in the wheel rim.
The torques will be transmitted from the wheel rim over the conical areas of the bolts or nuts to the bolts in addition to the force locking produced by the surface pressure and subsequently to the wheel mount by positive fit.
A disadvantage of this arrangement is the plurality of fastening elements (threaded studs with nuts, or bolts) and the possible assembly positions, predetermined precisely by the number of fastening points (large assembly angles) which prevents rapid and simple handling, especially in the scope of car racing.
Especially in the domain of circuit racing, wheel mountings whose wheel mounts have a central threaded bolt as the mounting, are used. The wheel is thus attached to the wheel mount by a central nut. Axially projecting transmission pegs are arranged on a common pitch circle in the wheel mount or the wheel rim to transmit the torque and engage in corresponding openings in the wheel rim or wheel mount, respectively, in a positive-locking manner. Defined assembly angles of the wheel on the wheel mount are naturally determined by the number of transmission pegs, which is adverse to easy handling and ultimately also precludes short installation time - the possible position for attachment must first be located in each case. To permit quick and easy fit of the wheel on the transmission pegs, the latter must also have clearance to a certain extent with regard to their accommodating holes in the wheel rim or in the wheel mount. This clearance generates a backlash in the transmission of torque, which leads to continuous torsion under alternating loads, e.g., with an axle that is both driven and also braked. Therefore, the transmission pegs can rapidly wear out the accommodating holes, especially with the preferred use of lightweight metals, i.e., softer materials.
The relative movement between the wheel rim and the wheel mount can be counteracted only to a limited extent and then only by a significant tightening moment of the central nut due to force locking between mating plane surfaces of the wheel rim and the wheel mount. Furthermore, with this proposed solution and with a relative movement of the wheel rim to the wheel mount, the fastening nut must be secured to a particular extent to prevent it from loosening, which results in an extended effort.
It is also known that the wheel rim can be provided with flutes that work together with the wheel mount, which is designed as a splined shaft in a manner suitable for transmitting torque. The disadvantages of this solution are similar to those in the example described previously; namely, the wheel rim can be mounted only in the angle positions defined by the number of splines/flutes. To facilitate or permit mounting of the wheel rim on the mounting bolts, a certain clearance is absolutely essential, resulting in the disadvantages described above.